Deal alert: Cancun, Mexico City and Cabo from $140 round trip this winter
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Editor’s note: As the travel industry reopens following COVID-19 shutdowns, TPG suggests that you talk to your doctor, follow health officials’ guidance and research local travel restrictions before booking that next trip. We will be here to help you prepare, whether it is next month or next year.
What a year it's been. With many countries restricting U.S. travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic, most international travel opportunities have been few and far between. Fortunately, many of Mexico's most popular vacation destinations are open to tourists from the U.S. — as long as you travel by air.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips
Once again, we've found extremely low fares for dates ranging from October 2020 to April 2021. Again, the cheapest routes we've found originate in states that border Mexico, such as Texas, Florida and California. The lowest flights begin from $140 round trip on Sun Country Airlines to Cancun, or from the low $200s to other popular cities.
According to Google's records, these are some of the lowest prices you'll find, even during non-pandemic times.
We first heard about these deals from Scott's Cheap Flights
Some of these fares may book into basic economy, which means different things to different airlines, but often means you may not have free use of the overhead bins for a carry-on bag. You probably also won't be able to select your seat, get an upgrade or earn PQM/PQS/PQDs. Also, keep in mind that flights booked in basic economy may incur change fees despite many airlines eliminating most change fees on domestic and Caribbean/Mexico flights this summer. However, it’s possible to defeat some of basic economy’s negative aspects by having elite status or a cobranded credit card.
To find a deal, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or an OTA like Orbitz or Expedia.
Not sure how to utilize Google Flights to its fullest? Check out our guide to booking flights like a pro.
Airline: Sun Country Airlines, American, United, Spirit, Volaris, VivaAerobus and more
Routes: IAH/SAT/MIA/DFW and more to CUN/MEX/SJO/PVR/CZM (rates are lowest to Cancun)
Cost: from $140 round trip in basic economy
Dates: October 2020 — April 2021
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline; starting Jan. 1, 2021 earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here are some examples of specific flights that are available:
Dallas (DFW) to Cancun (CUN) for $140 round trip nonstop on Sun Country Airlines in January:
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Cancun (CUN) for $163 round trip nonstop on Spirit via Google in basic economy in October:
San Antonio (SAT) to Mexico City (MEX) for $191 round trip nonstop in November on VivaAero bus via Gotogate:
Houston (IAH) to Mexico City (MEX) for $207 round trip nonstop in November on Volaris via FlightNetwork:
Miami (MIA) to Mexico City (MEX) for $230 round trip nonstop in November on American and Volaris via Gotogate in December:
Los Angeles (LAX) to San José del Cabo (SJD) for $231 round trip nonstop in November on Alaska via Google:
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
